Soft-sided top-shaped container and method of making same

ABSTRACT

There is provided a container having a plurality of sides that define an internal hollow space. The upper portion of the container may be selectively opened to allow items to be inserted or removed from the container. The bottom portion of the container is adapted to have an inverted point that resembles the base of a toy top. In addition, the external faces of the sides of the container are decorated and, preferably, resemble a draydel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention generally relates to containers. In particular, the present invention relates to soft-sided or child-safe containers that resemble toys, such as tops and/or draydels.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In the art directed to containers, containers for storage of items are preferably sturdy and, thusly, are generally very hard because they are made of heavier, stronger, and stiffer materials, such as wood, thick plastic, and metal. However, hard-sided containers present a potential source of injury, especially to small children. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for containers that are sturdy, yet soft-sided or child-safe.

[0005] Holidays often juxtapose the challenges of entertaining guests and keeping the home tidy. Decorating for the holidays often adds to these challenges. It is usually impractical to have one part of the home neatly organized and another part of the home decorated for entertaining. Accordingly, there is a need for a container for use in keeping the home tidy that can also be used as a decoration.

[0006] Hanukkah or Chanukah is an important and popular religious holiday. During Chanukah, it is a custom to play with a four-sided top called a draydel or sivivon. “Draydel” may also be spelled dreidel, dreydl, draydl, and dreidl. On each side on the draydel is a different Hebrew letter:

(nun),

(gimel),

(heh), and

(peh), corresponding to the words in the sentence “nes gadol haya po” (“A great miracle happened here”). Outside of Israel, the letter

(peh) is replaced by

(shin) for “nes gadol haya sham” (“A great miracle happened there”). The draydel game is played by having each player place an amount of coins or other tokens, such as candy pieces, do into a kupah or kitty. Once the kitty is filled, each player takes a turn spinning the draydel. When the draydel falls, it will fall on one of the 4 letters. According to the letter, the spinner will either spin again (nun), take the entire kitty (gimel), take half the kitty (heh), or place more tokens into the kitty (peh or shin).

[0007] The present invention addresses home container storage needs, as well as holiday decoration needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a soft-sided container that is both child-safe and decorative. Another object of the invention is to provide such a container that resembles a toy top, such as a draydel.

[0009] These, and further objects of the invention are achieved by a container having a plurality of sides that define an internal hollow space. The upper portion of the container may be selectively opened to allow items to be inserted or removed from the container. The bottom portion of the container is adapted to have an inverted point that resembles the base of a toy top. In addition, the external faces of the sides of the container are decorated and, preferably, resemble a draydel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 with the lid open showing the interior chamber;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the upper portion of the container of FIG. 1 along line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

[0016]FIG. 7 is a detail view of the zipper used to close the container of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Referring to the drawings and, in particular, FIG. 1, there is illustrated a soft-sided container according to the present invention, generally indicated as reference numeral 1. Container 1 has a lid 10, a body portion 20, and a base portion 30. Lid 10 preferably has a handle 12. Body portion 20 includes at least one side wall. Base portion 30 includes at least one bottom wall. Container 1 may have any top-like shape, dependent only upon the intended application thereof. For example, container 1 may be substantially pear-shaped, like a “peg” top. Base portion 30 may be conical rather than pyramidal. Body portion 20 and base portion 30 may have any number of sides, dependent only upon the intended application of container 1.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of container 1 resembles a four-sided toy top with a pyramidal base. Body portion 20 has side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 (also see FIG. 2) set at right angles to one another to form a cubic shape. Base portion 30 has bottom walls 32, 34, 36, and 38. Lid 10, side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28, and bottom walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 define a hollow interior space 50. In addition, bottom walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 are adapted to form a point or tip 40.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, at least a portion of the edge of lid 10 is permanently attached along the upper edge of body portion 20. As illustrated in FIG. 2, lid 10 is attached to the upper edge of body portion 20 by a seam 25 adjacent to side wall 24. Alternatively, lid 10 may be attached to the upper edge of body portion 20 by a lightweight hinge-like mechanism (not shown). The remaining portion of the edge of lid 10 that is not permanently attached to the upper edge of body portion 20 is releasably attached to the upper edge of body portion 20 by a fastener 71 (also see FIGS. 6 and 7). As illustrated in FIG. 2, lid 10 is adapted to be releasably attached to the upper edge of body portion 20 by fastener 71 adjacent to side walls 22, 26, and 28. Hollow interior space 50 is effectively sealed when lid 10 is attached to body portion 20. When lid 10 is released from body portion 20, lid 10 may freely pivot along seam 25. By pivoting lid 10 away from body portion 20, an opening into hollow interior space 50 is exposed and items may be placed within or removed from hollow interior space 50 therethrough.

[0020] Fastener 71 may be any appropriate device or appliance known in the art that can be releasably sealed, closed, or connected. Fasteners useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to: zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, magnets, frog-closures, buckles, bows, ribbons, locks, and combinations thereof. The preferred fastener 71 is a zipper having a zipper handle 71 (see FIG. 7). Fastener 71 is preferably incorporated between lid 10 and body portion 20 in such a way that fastener 71 is substantially concealed for esthetic and/or safety reasons.

[0021] Base portion 30 is attached to the bottom of body portion 20. In the preferred embodiment illustrated by the figures, base portion 30 has base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38. Base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 are attached to side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28, respectively. Base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 are adapted to form a point or tip 40. Preferably, base portion 30 has an interior wall (not shown) that defines the bottom of hollow interior space 50. Thus, hollow interior space 50 is preferably cubic, while base portion 30 preferably resembles an inverted or upside-down pyramid. Base portion 30 is preferably filled with a soft, but firm, filling material 45 (see FIG. 3), such as heavy felt and/or fiberfill.

[0022] The overall construction of lid 10 is pliable or soft. Lid 10 may be made using an appropriate material, such as cloth (e.g., terrycloth, velvet, velveteen, or plush), flexible non-woven materials (e.g., felt), flexible plastics, and/or thin metals (e.g., metallic thread). Lid 10 may include rigid or non-pliable materials, such as rigid plastics, so long as including such rigid materials does not adversely affect the overall soft construction of lid 10.

[0023] Preferably, lid 10 is reinforced with a stiffening material 15 (see FIG. 6). Stiffening material 15 is adapted to prevent lid 10 from collapsing into hollow interior space 50, especially when lid 10 is attached to the upper portions of side walls 22, 26, and 28 via fastening means 70. Stiffening material may be incorporated within lid 10 (as shown in FIG. 2). In addition, stiffening material may be incorporated on the interior face of lid 10 and/or along the exterior face of lid 10. Stiffening material 15 may be any appropriate material that is stiffer than lid 10. Exemplary materials for use as stiffening material 15 include felt, plastic, foam rubber, and wood.

[0024] Handle 12 also preferably has an overall pliable or soft construction. Handle 12 may be made using an appropriate material, such as cloth (e.g., terrycloth), flexible non-woven materials (e.g., felt), flexible plastics, and/or thin metals (e.g., metallic thread). Handle 12 may include rigid or non-pliable materials, such as rigid plastics, so long as including such rigid materials does not adversely affect the overall soft construction of lid 10.

[0025] Preferably, handle 12 is reinforced with a stiffening material 17 (see FIG. 6). Stiffening material 17 is adapted to help maintain the shape of handle 12. Stiffening material may be incorporated within handle 12 (as shown in FIG. 6). In addition, stiffening material may be incorporated along the exterior of handle 12. Stiffening material 17 may be integrally attached to stiffening material 15 to form a unitary stiffening structure. Stiffening material 17 may be any appropriate material that is stiffer than handle 12. Exemplary materials for use as stiffening material 17 include felt, plastic, foam rubber, and wood.

[0026] Like lid 10, the overall construction of body portion 20 is pliable or soft. Each side wall 22, 24, 26, and 28 may be made using an appropriate material, such as cloth (e.g., terrycloth), flexible non-woven materials (e.g., felt), flexible plastics, and/or thin metals (e.g., metallic thread). Side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 may include rigid or non-pliable materials, such as rigid plastics, so long as including such rigid materials does not adversely affect the overall soft construction of lid 10.

[0027] Preferably, side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are reinforced with stiffening materials (not shown) to maintain the basic shape of side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28. In general, any stiffening materials that are employed will not prevent side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 from collapsing somewhat when container 1 is empty. Stiffening materials may be incorporated within side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28. Alternatively, stiffening materials may be disposed on the interior face of side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28, and/or along the exterior face of side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28. Any appropriate stiffening materials may be used for reinforcing side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28. Exemplary materials for use as a stiffening material include felt, plastic, foam rubber, and wood. A more preferred embodiment of container 1 incorporates light boning (e.g., collar stays) within side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28.

[0028] Side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are attached to one another at their respective corners by corner seams 42, 44, 46, and 28. Preferably, a stiffening material is also incorporated within corner seams 42, 44, 46, and 48.

[0029] Like to other portions of container 1, the overall construction of base portion 30 is pliable or soft. Base portion 30 may be made using an appropriate material, such as cloth (e.g., terrycloth), flexible non-woven materials (e.g., felt), flexible plastics, and/or thin metals (e.g., metallic thread). Base portion 30 may include rigid or non-pliable materials, such as rigid plastics, so long as including such rigid materials does not adversely affect the overall soft construction of base portion 30. In addition to fill material 45, base portion 30 may be reinforced with a stiffening material (not shown) to help base portion 30 to maintain to preferred conical or pyramidal shape. Stiffening material may be disposed (1) within base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38, (2) on the interior face of base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38, and/or (3) along the exterior face of base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38. Stiffening material for reinforcing base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 may be any appropriate stiffening material. Exemplary materials for use as a stiffening material include felt, plastic, and wood. In addition, base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 may be reinforced with light boning (e.g., collar stays).

[0030] Container 1 is preferably about 6″ to about 16″ high between point 40 and the apex of handle 12. Container 1 is preferably about 4″ to about 8″ wide and about 4″ to about 9″ tall along all its side walls when hollow interior space 50 is substantially filed to its capacity. Handle 12 is preferably about 1″ to about 4″ tall and about 1″ to about 1.5″ in diameter. Base portion 30 is preferably about 1″ to about 3″ tall and about 4″ to about 8″ wide. Lid 10 and sidewalls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are each about 0.5″ thick. Hollow space 50 preferably has dimensions of about 3.5 to about 7.5″ wide, about 3.5 to about 7.5″ long, and about 3.5 to about 8.5″ tall. Thus, hollow space 50 has a volume of about 42 cubic inches to about 480 cubic inches.

[0031] Container 1 is preferably formed from separate pieces or subsections that are folded and attached together by stitching, glue, or other appropriate means. For example, lid 10, body portion 20, and base portion 30 may be formed separately before being sewn together. Alternatively, container 1 may be formed from a single continuous blank. In addition, whether using separate subsections or a single blank, the final construction of container 1 may employ any appropriate technique, such as sewing, gluing, and the combination thereof.

[0032] Preferably, lid 10 is formed using a base fabric piece, an upper fabric piece, and a single reinforcing member. Lid 10 may incorporate other useful and/or customary materials, such as padding. Base and upper fabric piece may be cut from a preselected pattern. Traditional sewing techniques may be used to determine the amount of fabric needed to properly make lid 10. The reinforcing member may be attached to the base fabric piece using an adhesive or stitching. The reinforcing member may have the same or smaller area than the base and upper fabric pieces. To complete lid 10, the upper fabric piece is attached to the base fabric piece and/or reinforcing member.

[0033] Handle 12 is preferably formed using a single fabric piece that is cut from an appropriate pattern and sewn into an elongated shape defining a hollow space that is filled with a filling material. Handle 12 may be made separately from lid 10 and thereafter attached to lid 10 using any appropriate method.

[0034] Side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are each formed in a similar manner and, therefore, the steps for forming side wall 22 apply equally to side walls 24, 26, and 28. Side wall 22 is preferably formed using a base fabric piece, an upper fabric piece, and one or more reinforcing members. Side wall 22 may incorporate other useful and/or customary materials, such as padding. For the purpose of uniformity, base and upper fabric pieces can be cut from a preselected pattern. Traditional sewing techniques may be used to determine the amount of fabric needed to properly make side wall 22. Optionally, one or more reinforcing members are attached to base fabric piece using an adhesive or stitching. The optional reinforcing member or members may have the same or smaller area(s) than the base and upper fabric pieces. To form side wall 22, the upper fabric piece is attached to the base fabric piece and/or reinforcing member(s).

[0035] The individually formed subsections may be attached to one another in any order using any appropriate technique, such as sewing and/or gluing. For example, once the individual side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are formed, body portion 20 can be created by sewing the square-shaped side walls to one another to form a four-sided box-like shape having two opposing open ends. Then, lid 10 may be permanently attached to body portion 20 at seam 25 adjacent to side wall 24. Fastening means 70 (i.e., a zipper) could then be inserted between lid 10 and body portion 20 so that lid 10 may be releasably attached to body portion 20 along three sides thereof. Triangular-shaped base walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 may be sewn together to form an inverted pyramidal-shaped pocket having an upper free edge and a lower point. The inverted pyramidal-shaped pocket would then be filled with fill material 45. A fifth base wall may then be attached to the free edge of the pyramidal-shaped pocket. Resulting pyramidal-shaped base portion 30 can then be attached to the lower edge of body portion 20. An advantage of sewing the portions together rather than using an adhesive is that the seams intrinsically provide support or reinforcement. Boning may optionally be incorporated in the seams.

[0036] As stated above, a more preferred form of container 1 is as a draydel. Accordingly, on each side wall of container 1 are the letters

(nun),

(gimel),

(heh), and

(peh) or

(shin). The letters may be made directly on the side walls or made separately and subsequently attached to the side walls. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the letters are separately made from a substantially pliable material (e.g., fabric) and subsequently sewn and/or “heat transferred” onto the side walls. Container 1 preferably also incorporates other decorative features that are symbolic for the Jewish religion, such as the colors blue and white, and the Star of David.

[0037] Of course, container 1 has many uses. For example, container 1 may be used to hold items such as gifts, toys, clothing, and potpourri. In addition, container 1 may be stuffed like a pillow. Container 1 is also of use, per se, as a decoration or decorative item.

[0038] The present invention having been thus described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A soft-sided container comprising: an effectively soft body portion defining an internal chamber, said effectively soft body portion including a plurality of side walls, a bottom section adapted to form a point extending away from said body portion, and an opening opposite said bottom section, said opening having an upper edge; and an effectively soft lid releasably attached to said upper edge by a releasable fastening means, said effectively soft lid adapted to selectively seal said opening and, whereby the soft-sided container substantially resembles a toy top when said effectively soft lid is positioned to seal said opening.
 2. The soft-sided container of claim 1, further comprising a handle attached to said lid for holding and carrying the soft-sided container.
 3. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said body portion has four, approximately rectilinear, side walls and said bottom section is effectively shaped as an inverted pyramid.
 4. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said lid is permanently attached along at least a portion of said upper edge.
 5. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said releasable fastening means is selected from the group consisting of: zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, magnets, frog-closures, buckles, bows, ribbons, locks, and combinations thereof.
 6. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said body portion substantially includes at least one soft material.
 7. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said body portion has at least one reinforcing member adapted to maintain the overall shape of said internal chamber when said internal chamber is empty.
 8. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein said lid has at least one reinforcing member adapted to prevent said lid from collapsing into said hollow chamber when said lid is positioned to seal said opening.
 9. The soft-sided container of claim 1, wherein each side wall has a respective dintinguishing indicia.
 10. The soft-sided container of claim 9, wherein the soft-sided container effectively resembles a draydel.
 11. A method for making a soft-sided container comprising the steps of: forming an effectively soft body portion that defines an internal chamber, said effectively soft body portion including a plurality of side walls, a bottom section adapted to form a point extending away from said body portion, and an opening opposite said bottom section and having an upper edge; and attaching an effectively soft lid to said upper edge by a releasable fastening means, said effectively soft lid adapted to selectively seal said opening, whereby the soft-sided container substantially resembles a toy top when said effectively soft lid is positioned to seal said opening.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of attaching a handle to said lid for holding and carrying the soft-sided container.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein said body portion is formed with four side walls and said bottom section is effectively shaped as an inverted pyramid.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein said lid is permanently attached along at least a portion of said upper edge.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein said releasable fastening means is selected from the group consisting of: zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, magnets, frog-closures, buckles, bows, ribbons, locks, and combinations thereof.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein said body portion is substantially formed with at least one soft material.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein said body portion is formed with at least one reinforcing member adapted to maintain the overall shape of said internal chamber when said internal chamber is empty.
 18. The method of claim 11, wherein said lid is formed with at least one reinforcing member adapted to prevent said lid from collapsing into said hollow chamber when said lid is positioned to seal said opening.
 19. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of forming a decorative exterior surface on at least one side wall of said plurality of side walls.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the soft-sided container effectively resembles a draydel. 